Ex Supersport
It is not very likely that the Bulls will be looking to the works of famed physicist Albert Einstein this week as they try to plug the holes in that sieve they call a defence. But if you ask us, that is exactly what they should do. No, we are not about to delve into the intricacies of General Relativity just to find ways of stopping an average attack like that of the Rebels from running you off the park. We’re just saying that they are mad to defend the way they are currently. And it is on the subject of madness that we call on old Albert’s wisdom. (Guess where the Boks defensive coach comes from) It is he who once described insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Almost as if he’s just seen the 'pink panthers' defend. (hahahahahahaha good one!) The problem, of course, lies in the changes they made to their defensive system. Gone are the days of moving up in unison, cutting down space and crushing any runner who dares to make contact. Instead the Bulls now hang back, waiting for the hit, trying their best to keep the ball and whoever is attached to it off the ground. It is an experiment that was worth taking, because a ball off the ground in contact is considered a maul, and after an off-season law change, a collapsed maul is a guaranteed turnover. They also have more than enough upper-body strength throughout the team to pull it off, especially against the smaller Australian backlines. It’s rugby’s take on Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope. Except that in practice the exact opposite has happened. What they ended up doing was giving the Brumbies and the Rebels space to run - the one thing Australian backs need to thrive. And whenever there was a stationary tight forward defending out in the open, the results were almost comical. Even when contact was made, the Bulls conceded several metres in every tackle, pretty much handing the opposing attack go-forward ball. The upshot is the worst “tries against” record in the top six of the Super Rugby log, and some seriously inflated Australian egos. Which brings us back to that Einstein quote. If the Bulls expect different results from their defence against the Waratahs on Friday, they will be seriously mistaken. They cannot allow the likes of Sarel Pretorius and Daniel Halangahu to have a free run at them, because the damage could be much worse than that inflicted by an already-beaten Brumbies outfit or a limping Kurtley Beale. They need to realise that their physical defence is one of their biggest weapons, and they have to look no further than their decimation of the frail Reds backline earlier this season for inspiration. Or perhaps the Springboks’ Tri-Nations campaign of 2004, which had a trophy as proof that rushing forward and knocking the living daylights out of anyone who even looks at the ball is the only way South Africans know how to defend. Sure, keep the ball up and win turnovers that way - Springbok legend Andre Venter showed the way years ago. But do so when the opportunity presents itself. Don’t base your entire defensive system on it. It’s not working now, and it certainly won’t when you face the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and Hosea Gear later on this tour. We can already hear the more optimistic among you counter our argument with the trusted “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” Sure, except that in this case the word ‘try’ may have a very different meaning Nobody can deny that there is a problem with the bulle defence so is this the answer. I tend to agree.Captain40,032 posts
09 May 2012, 13:16
#1
09 May 2012, 13:16#1
